Storm Surge
by PFT
Summary: When a storm leaves Judy without a home, Nick offers to let her stay with him. What will this do to their relationship?
1. Prologue

**Prologue  
June 21, 2016  
13:10**

The winds had been blowing hard through the city all day, acting like a herald before the storm- a storm bearing down on the megalopolis known as Zootopia.

In the Police Station of Zootopia's Precinct One, everybody seemed to be in several places simultaneously. Not a soul was stationary for longer than it took to set down a box, relay a message, or check the radar- and half of these actions were being taking at a running pace.

Much like their counterparts, Officers Hopps and Wilde were in motion, though mostly running papers or messages between others- a bit of a shock for some in the station, who'd hardly seen Wilde running for any reason other than apprehending a criminal.

It was into this mess that Chief Bogo entered.

As the chief observed the floor below, both the noise and activity levels dropped. "The storm's coming in faster and stronger than we expected from yesterday afternoon. Our priority today is to keep the public safe while the storm comes through. Mayor Lionheart will be speaking to the public shortly, and will be enacting a state of emergency effective through most of the districts of the city." As if on cue, one of the screens in the lobby flashed to where Mayor Lionheart was speaking to a small crowd of reporters- however, few noticed it, and those who did decided that the chief was more important for now.

"All Officers are to proceed to their patrol vehicles immediately. Dispatch will tell you your assignments for now and will be monitoring the weather."

The officers started filing out, with Clawhauser starting to call out assignments to the first ones out. As Hopps and Wilde started to leave, the stations lights went out, then came back on as the backup generators kicked in.

 _That can't be a good sign,_ thought Nick.

* * *

It had been nearly an hour, and as of yet, things hadn't quite gotten bad in the area that they were patrolling. Nick was about ready to recant his earlier observation- though the continued chatter of Clawhauser to other officers kept him from doing so.

"Looks like we got the boring area, carrots." He leaned back in the patrol car seat.

Judy raised an eyebrow at her partner. "I'll take boring as long as my apartment is in that 'boring zone.'" Her tone screamed to Nick that she wasn't in much mood for joking. Several months of patrolling with her had taught him that this tone meant business.

"Fair enough." And without another word, he dropped that line of conversation, watching the street sign pass by. _94_ _th_ _and Sycamore. We are pretty close to her place, aren't we?_

The amicable silence inside the patrol car was only punctuated by the howling of the wind, the sheets of rain on the windows, and the rhythmic _thup-thup-thup_ of the wipers swishing away. Even the radio was oddly quiet in that moment.

Time seemed not to matter in those moments, so Nick wasn't sure how long it had been when he heard the radio buzz to life. "Availiable units in the vicinity, we have reports of building damage and hazardous conditions on 97th.

A glance at his partner told Nick all that he needed to know- it was as if she was praying for it to not be her building. "On the way. What intersection?"

"97th and Magnolia."

 _Aw Crud. That's her place. Hopefully it's not bad._

* * *

 **Armadillo Arms Apartments  
June 21  
14:36**

It wasn't bad. It was worse than that.

A chunk of the building was missing on the top most floor, windows were blown out… the finishing piece had to be the meter maid cart impacted into the wall between Judy and her neighbors' windows.

"Carrots?" Nick turned to his partner, who made no response. Shrugging, he exited the car and made for the firefighters, who were discussing the building.

One, a big burly rhino, noticed him. "Ah, Officer Wilde. It's good to see you."

"What's the situation?"

"We have some unknown structure damage. A pair's inside the building as we speak assessing the stability of the complex."

"Anything you need?"

"Assuming the worst, blocking off the block, if it's going to come down."

The radio on the rhino crackled. "Building is stable enough to stand, but it's unclear what the damage is. Another hit from a vehicle, flying or not, and we can kiss the complex goodbye."

 _Carrots is not going to be pleased at this,_ thought Nick to himself.

As if on cue, Judy emerged, still staring at where her apartment was. "Was that-"

"Yep."

"And everybody-"

"Out safe."

"Danger-"

"Not for now." At his last answer, Judy looked over at her partner. "Before you ask, I've been there, got the t-shirt. Face it, I know you well." He finished with a smirk on his face. _Hadn't quite done the job there, Nick old boy._ "I don't know what the final damages are, but if you need a place to sleep for now, I can help with that."

Judy simply nodded, words failing her.


	2. Chapter 1: Wilde Abodes

**Chapter 1: Wilde Abodes**

 **Zootopia Police Headquarters  
June 24  
16:55**

Officer Judy Hopps and her partner Nick Wilde were just wrapping up the last of their paperwork from the storm. Neither had spent much time away from the station over those last three days, with one or the other catching a quick catnap or coffee to help propel them through the paperwork.

The storm had blown out as fast as it had come in, but not before taking a good chunk of city with it. Across the city, approximately 150,000 were affected, with 100,000 already requiring temporary accommodation. The injuries were few and far between, oddly enough, in what people were calling the luckiest miss of the decade. The estimates for repairs weren't quite as happy- the Armadillo Arms could take as long as a year or two to replace, if it even would be.

While Judy had lost her abode, Nick's had weathered the storm perfectly. It was amazing how many of her co-workers had offered her a place to stay- only Nick could do so on a semi-permanent basis, however. Even her parents had offered her a place, though she knew there was little chance of that- the train ride was a 2 hour journey, and that didn't factor in getting from Zootopia Central Station to the Precinct.

A small knock at the door startled Judy. "Ready to go, Carrots?"

She turned in her seat, facing her partner. His shirt was haphazardly tucked in, tie still loosened, with his rain jacket slung over his shoulder. "We got a couple days off to get you re-situated."

"We?" she asked, a conspiratorial eyebrow raised.

"Yeah. Bogo wanted me to make sure that you didn't try to solve cases on your off days." Judy's look didn't relent. "Alright, I kinda asked, because the alternate was parking duty."

Judy repressed a shudder. The animals of Zootopia didn't care what was going on, they would tell you that they hated your guts for enforcing the parking regulations. Lesser cops had been known to curl up in a safe spot and cry. "Alright, fair enough."

As the pair walked out, they failed to notice the bets that Clawhauser, Bogo, and a handful of the other cops were making.

Judy started trudging towards her apartment after she left the station. "Hey, Carrots?" called Nick across the plaza, "Car's over here."

"Since when did you have a car?" asked Judy, a bit excitedly.

"I've had it since I was 17," replied Nick, scratching the back of his head, "though most days I just walk to work and back."

Judy started to wonder which of the old, beat-up cars in the lot was Nick's. At least, that was the case until she saw him getting into a shiny, red (but still old) convertible.

"You know, I wouldn't have expected that you'd have one of these…" she said, as she entered the car.

Nick shrugged. "Stella's a beaut, isn't she? Took me a while to fix her up, you should have seen what she looked like when I first got her."

"She? Stella?" Judy guffawed. "What is it with men and their cars?"

Nick rolled his eyes at her and stuck his tongue out at her. "It's not just men. Get a car you really like and then come talk to me."

* * *

She couldn't say that she was surprised at the state of her apartment. The floor was still mushy to the touch, and the remains of clothes, bed, and furniture were strewn about. In the end, she was able to grab just the duffel bag that she first took to town, and a small handful of clothes- enough to get her by for a day or two. "I guess it's a good thing I hadn't yet sprung for that iCarrot Laptop I'd been wanting," she said.

On the way back to Nick's, her phone buzzed. She took a look at who it was from. Fru Fru.

 _You available for dinner?_

Judy pondered for a moment, then responded.

 _No can do, been on duty for 72 hours, bit sleepy._ Her eyelids began to feel heavy while she continued responding. _Late-ish brunch tomorrow sound good?_

She didn't have to wait long before her phone vibrated again.

 _Sounds great. I'll put us down for 11 at the usual. I'm paying, of course ;)_ Judy chuckled. She hadn't paid for anything yet with Fru Fru or Mr. Big- both of whom insisted that she was one of the family. _For 3 or 4?_ That, Judy wasn't expecting- Nick had not been accepted as quickly or openly into the family as she, but she had assumed that they'd been mending bridges. She wasn't too sure, as Nick tended to be cagey with his past.

"FruFru invited us to brunch."

Nick, unlike Judy, did not appear to be as shocked. "Well that's awfully nice of her."

Her response was short and simple. _4\. See you guys tomorrow!_

Before she knew it, she was asleep, phone still in hand.

* * *

 **Wilde Abodes  
June 24  
17:46**

"Alright Carrots, we're here." Nick turned to look at the sleeping passenger in his car. _Out like a lightbulb._

As if carrying a sleeping child, Nick picked up his partner, and began walking towards the entrance, where a fox held the door open for him. "Nicholas Wilde," began the other fox, "What took you so long?"

"Sorry, mother," huffed Nick, "We had to check on her apartment first."

"Oh. That's right." She looked sheepishly back at her son.

As Nick walked towards the elevator, he was aware of his mother grabbing the car keys off his belt. "Her stuff's in the trunk- a small box and a duffel."

It wasn't long before he got up to his apartment, where he found the door opened already for him. _Thanks, mom._

Laying the bunny gently on his guest bed, he then proceeded to tuck her in, and was a little surprised to see his mother standing there, a bemused smile on her face. "You were right, not much," she said, smile fading a bit. "Do you think there's anything that I should grab her?"

"She could probably use some night clothes, maybe other things…" Nick trailed off, a bit out of thinking, a bit out of exhaustion. "I can guarantee that she needs a new charger, hers was dead." He started heading out of the bedroom, closing the door gently.

"Alright, I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks mom," responded Nick sincerely, hugging his mother.

"It's the least I can do. After all, she did put you on the straight and narrow."

Nick rolled his eyes. "Yes, mother."

"I'll make sure that Sheila gets home safely. Also, I presume I am telling your uncle that the pair of you won't be at dinner?"

"Unfortunately no, sorry. Please send my regards."

"Will do." On her way out, she shut the door, gently.

With this done, Nick went to his own room and settled in for a night of sleep.


	3. Chapter 2: Meet the Family

**Chapter 2: Meet the Family**

 **Wilde Abodes  
June 25  
07:22**

Judy Hopps was still in bed. The last couple of days had taken a massive toll on her, but this dream that she was having made up for it- she could get back to that in a moment, after she checked the time. 7:22 was illuminated in glowing green letters. Satisfied with checking the time, she curled back up.

That's when it hit her, and with a slightly panicky hop, she leapt to her feet. _CRUD! I'M GOING TO BE LA-_

Just for good measure, she paused. Where was she? Had to be a home or apartment, judging from the keys jangling nearby, and a door opening. It couldn't be hers, as she couldn't quite make out what was being said- she could hear every argument that Bucky and Pronk had, and those weren't her neighbors. She was brought out of her musing by a knock on the door. "Come in!"

She was pleasantly surprised to see a fox cub entering. The cub had on a pink shirt with a white pawprint on it, and navy blue shorts. They couldn't have been much older than about 6 or 7. What surprised her most was the obviously homemade police cap, complete with ZPD logo in the center. It somewhat reminded Judy of how she was at that age. "Uncle Nick says you should come down for breakfast, Officer Hopps."

"It's just Judy, please."

"Alright, Miss Judy." The cub scrunched up her face for a moment, as if in thought. "Uncle Nick said I should show you where the bathroom is, and introduce myself." She pointed to a door with a towel rack on it, just slightly down the hallway. "That's the bathroom, Grandma said that she left some towels and soap and stuff for you. And as for me," she paused, stood at attention and saluted Judy, "I am Ellen Jennifer Wilde, junior ZPD Officer and Uncle Nick's sidekick when he's not at work!" It was slightly adorable how serious the cub's speech was. She also supposed that was why Nick had an occasional tendency towards slow responses at home.

Judy couldn't help but reciprocate. "Officer Judy Hopps, at your service."

Ellen giggled and then hugged Judy, taking the bunny slightly off-guard. "That was awesome, Miss Judy! I'm gonna go tell Uncle Nick that you'll be down shortly!" Once the cub let go of Judy, she then ran out of the apartment, forgetting to shut the door. Her cries of "Uncle Nick, Uncle Nick! Guess what!" echoed up the hallway. Judy hoped dearly that she wasn't going to wake up any light sleepers.

After closing the forgotten apartment door, Judy made her way to the bathroom. On the door was a painted cartoon of a fox covered in bubbles in a bathtub. She chuckled to herself as she entered the room.

The bathroom was a decent size, with a clean sink, toilet, and tub. Under the sink, there was a hamper marked "TOWELS" in big bright blue letters. On top of that was a set of towels and a small basket. Judy looked inside to find a complete assortment of toiletries- a new brush, toothpaste, soap- even Judy's favorite shampoo. She wondered how they knew.

Judy stepped out of the tub, feeling a lot more normal, even if only for a moment. As she pulled out a towel to dry herself, she found a corner where the fluffy towel seemed to get less fluffy. Upon closer examination, she found a small carrot embroidered in the corner. A closer examination at the stack of towels found that each had the same embroidered carrot.

* * *

"Uncle Nick, Uncle Nick! Guess what!"

Nick was still at the stove when he heard his niece shouting down the stairs towards him. "What is it, Ellen?"

"Miss Judy responded with a police salute!"

"Really? That's awesome!" He gave her a high five while turning the stove off.

"And she is as cuddly as you said—"

Nick's ears quickly dropped, as did his voice. "Shh shh shh Ellen."

Ellen looked back at him, slightly confused. "But it's the truth!"

Nick sighed. Wiping his hands off on the apron he was wearing, he knelt down to his niece's level. "Ellen, I need you to do me a favor."

"Sure. What is it, Uncle Nick?"

"You can't say stuff like that while Miss Judy is around. It's kinda complicated… you'll understand when you're older."

"Oh." Ellen looked down for a moment, then looked back at Nick. "Are you in love with Miss Judy?"

Nick sputtered for a moment. "No."

Ellen looked back at Nick with the I-Have-A-Suspicion-That-You-Are-Lying-Or-Wrong stare. Neither spoke for a minute, at least until she dropped the stare. "Okay," she said in a slightly resigned fashion.

"Why don't you go see what your Mom is up to?"

"Okay!" The energetic kit left the kitchen, and headed towards the dining room.

* * *

The scene that Judy walked into when she found the dining room was a scene of domestic bliss- Nick was tickling Ellen while an older looking fox looked on amusedly. At the other end of the table, a very small kit was in a high chair holding on to a bit of pancake, but was laughing as another male fox of Nick's age played peekaboo with them. Between them was sat a female fox, who was sipping a cup of coffee.

The older looking fox noticed Judy first. "Good Morning!"

The rest of the family stopped and looked over to Judy. The first one to speak was the little kit in the high chair. "Hi!"

Judy chuckled. "Well hello to you too." Turning toward the rest of the family, she replied "Good Morning. I'm Judy, I work with Nick at the station."

"I'm Marie," said the older fox, "I'm Nick's mom."

"I'm Nate," the other male fox Nick's age chimed in, "I'm Nick's brother. To my right is Jessie," the fox beside him groggily nodded her head before returning to her coffee, "and the kit in the high chair is Stephen."

"Well it's very nice to meet you all." Judy took a platter of pancakes and started serving herself.

"Likewise. Nick talks about you all the time." At Marie's words, Nick's ears dropped. "Though, to be fair, I don't remember him ever talking much about friends. Not even Finnick…"

"He was a business partner, mom. Purely business." Nick nearly missed his plate with the hash browns, but managed to save it before he spilled.

"Come to think of it," started Rick, "You never really mentioned him."

Nick inwardly groaned. _I never thought I'd look forward to an event with one of Mr. Big's family this much._

* * *

After the trauma that Nick had gone through with the Wilde family at breakfast, brunch—or lunch, for him and Judy—was a more comfortable affair.

"I still can't believe your mom!" Started Judy. "I mean, she has never met me, yet she bends over almost backwards to try and help me, and all without expecting anything in return!"

Nick shrugged. "That's mom for you. Plus you weren't a complete stranger, in a way." He could see that Judy was still puzzled. "Carrots, how large was your extended family?"

"Very. Why?"

"Did you ever need to fall back on them? Or did someone need to fall back onto you guys?"

"Well sure, but—"

"Carrots, that dining table was all the family that we have. We had to fall back on charity before."

"You guys have that big ol' apartment building though! Speaking of which, how would I get an apartment there?" Hope was shining bright in her eyes.

"First things first, last name would have to be Wilde." Judy looked crestfallen. "Only family allowed- the building isn't certified to rent out beyond that. And even that took 2 years to do… there's so much more that would have to be done to get it to that point."

"I didn't realize."

"Don't worry, most mammals don't think it takes much more than a license and a big building for apartments. Besides, it's not as if we are hurting for cash. Jessie and Nate run a photo studio out of some of the ground floor. Pretty successful now, too. Usually in the running for best studio in town." Nick looked a bit proud at that.

Judy turned towards Nick as far as the seat belt would allow. "Why didn't you mention them much before?"

Nick paused. "Nate and I weren't speaking for a while. He didn't appreciate my con artist ways and how they were 'rubbing off on his daughter.'" To be fair, he supposed he shouldn't have shown Ellen how to run a shell game. "Jessie didn't think of it as badly, especially when I kept the artistry away from home."

"I could see the protective side of things." Judy responded. "But it's been nearly a year since the Night Howler case- shouldn't he have relented a bit?"

Nick sighed. "I'll tell you about it someday, just not today."

Judy wanted to press for further details, but she could see that Nick was looking a little… uncomfortable with this talk. So she switched the conversation. "I still can't believe that they would give me a card to FruFru's account!"

"Well, you are the godmother to JJ…"

"That nickname? Really?"

"Plus they know that you won't abuse it. And if you do, they can very easily ice you." Judy rolled her eyes. "I have it on good authority that they have iced people who have not held up their end of a business deal."

Judy looked at the card with a slight look of shock. _Better be real careful with this then._


	4. Chapter 3: The Storm Inside

**Chapter 3: The Storm Inside**

 **Wilde Abodes  
June 27  
20:25**

The halls of Wilde Abodes were filled with giggling and a lot of fast footsteps. The rest of the family meanwhile, were in what served as the common area of the apartment/house. Only Judy seemed to be paying attention to the shrieks, with the rest of the family doing their own things. Stephen was busy toddling around, with Jessie keeping a watchful eye on her young son. Nate, meanwhile, was sitting with a ledger in his lap, a calculator on one of the armrests, and a mug of tea on the table next to him. Marie, for her part, was busy reading _Gardener's Monthly,_ though it was apparent that she was listening to her son and granddaughter's antics.

In a way, Judy felt much like she was at home. There was a serenity here that she hadn't had either there (good luck with 275 siblings!), but she hadn't found it at the old Armadillo Arms, either. Granted, Nick and Ellen did their best to disturb that serenity, but it was a comfortable disturbance to the bunny cop if ever there was one.

Judy laughed to herself momentarily. _Nick will be a great father to any offspring he has._ Though… he hadn't seemed to pay too much attention to anyone romantically. _Maybe he prefers to be the favorite uncle. Well if so, I know who I'm making my children's godfather! If… I ever do have children._

* * *

Ellen lay under her covers, police cap on the bedpost near her. If she was honest, it was her favorite thing ever. What made it really special was that it was made by her Uncle Nick while he was in the academy, on his way to becoming the first fox cop in Zootopian history. She hoped that one day, she could follow in his footsteps, and become the second… assuming that no fox else had entered. Which wouldn't be a problem in her mind.

On the little fox's mind tonight, however, was how her Uncle Nick had reacted to her question of if he liked Miss Judy. And she meant liked liked. "Uncle Nick?"

"Yes, Ellen?"

"I think I know how you feel for Miss Judy."

Nick froze. _Ellen, you really are too smart for your own good. "_ Alright, I need you to promise not to tell anyone else what I am about to tell you."

Ellen nodded furiously. "Of course, Uncle Nick."

Nick looked at her warily. "Scout's Honor?"

Ellen quickly replied, "Scout's Honor."

Nick sat next to his favorite niece on her bed. Not that she had any challenge, so he couldn't feel guilty about picking a favorite as far as that was concerned. "Yes, Ellen. I am in love with Officer Hopps."

"I knew it." Said Ellen quietly. "So why haven't you told her yet?"

"Well…" What was he going to say to the kit? _Mammals out there barely accept foxes as members of society, never mind one dating a rabbit?_ They'd think of him as some sort of predator? Well… the _other_ sort of predator? Nick fought off a shiver.

He knew that his niece was still expecting an answer to her question. _If I'm perfectly honest, I don't know how she'd react._ "You know how I say that Miss Judy is my best friend?" He noticed Ellen's nods. "Well… I don't know if she feels the same way about me. Or how she'd react to it... and I don't want to risk losing my best friend."

Ellen looked puzzled. "So your best friend would have an issue if you said that you loved her?"

"Possibly."

"But aren't friends supposed to be there for each other?"

"Yes…?" Nick had a feeling that he knew where Ellen was going with this.

"So she should be able to handle it, right?"

"It's not quite that simple when you get to my age." He chuckled. _Never thought I was going to use that line honestly._ "In any case, Ellen, it's time for sleep. After all…"

"Even officers need their rest, I know, Uncle Nick." She reached up and hugged him tightly. "I'd still be your friend, even if she wouldn't."

Nick smiled. "Thanks, kit."

* * *

He found himself back in the pit at the museum. Judy was next to him, lying injured. The scent of her blood mingled with that of the blueberries that had been in the makeshift bandage. And Bellwether, about to lay out her plans to build her political dynasty. Nick couldn't quite make out what was being said… and then one other figure appeared out of the shadows. Holding…

 _ELLEN?_ The kit was unceremoniously tossed down there with them. She was terrified, but was holding her own. After all, Zootopia's first fox cop couldn't just let anyone faze her.

"Oh I'm not going to kill you."

" _She is."_ Bellwether's target changed. The blueberry hit the smaller fox, who was not in on the plan. Revealing the swap to Bellwether.

"Oh, how cute." She shot the two blueberries off in rapid succession. "But did you really think I wouldn't have _spares?_ "

 _Oh no._ He looked at Judy, then to Ellen. His eyes closed, as if to stop the tears welling up in his eyes. They only snapped open when he felt a stabbing pain at his neck, and his world started spinning.

 _NO NO NO NO._ He had to fight it… he had to fight it. That was his niece and best friend there… Ellen brandishing one of the stuffed deer's former legs…

 _Stay away from them!_ He wanted to scream, but the words wouldn't come out, all that came out was a predatory snarl. A warning to Ellen. He had no control. He lunged for the pair, and as they both screamed-

* * *

Nick bolted upright in bed, the screams of horror still ringing in his ears, normally clear nighttime vision blurred. Quietly, he crept over to Judy's room.

The bunny was lightly snoring, which brought a smile to Nick's face, and dispelled his night terror. He softly closed her door. For whatever reason, the tiny mural that had been recently painted on the door brought a slight smile to his face. The carrot with police badge was an homage to the nickname that he always used for her in casual conversation.

As he trudged back to his bedroom, Nick thought about what he couldn't tell Ellen. _And one more thing, Ellen. Your Uncle Nick still is a bit terrified he's going to mince poor Judy up for a midnight snack. Totally helping overcome the natural, biological predator thing, you know?_

Ellen making an appearance in his nightmare was troubling though. _Why her? Am I a danger waiting to happen to her?_ He decided not to dwell on it too much, which naturally meant that he dwelt on it a lot, meaning that he got very little sleep that night.

* * *

Ellen burst in to his room, much like she always did to wake him up, only this time Nick didn't get up from the covers. The inquisitive kit moved towards her uncle carefully. "Uncle Nick?"

Nick opened an eye, and managed to breathe a hidden sigh of relief. Sitting up, he pulled her into a long hug.


	5. Chapter 4: iSnoop with iCarrots

**Chapter 4: iSnoop with iCarrots**

 **Wilde Abodes  
June 28  
13:23**

Judy looked at the box on her desk, an early gift from her family at home. She'd been staring at it for about 20 minutes at this point. She'd have to remember to thank the family the next time she saw them.

Speaking of the family, there was a pretty prodigious stack of notes next to it- ranging from the eloquent penmanship of her mother, to the barely legible scribbles of her youngest siblings. Some had even drawn little things for her to put on her wall, and her cousin Jarred had even gotten in on that, sending her a canvas painting of Cape Carrot. _I'd almost forgotten that place,_ thought Judy wistfully, _it'd be a great place to go on vacation. Maybe I could repay the Wilde's generosity._ It seemed like a great plan, the only issue that she could see was that only Nick, Ellen, and Marie would be able to enjoy it well. Nate and Jessie had their business to worry about, and Stephen was still a little bit young to go without his mom or dad yet.

 _I'll hang the drawings up later. After all, the computer's not going to get any better with age!_ On that thought, Judy excitedly grabbed the box and all but ripped it open.

When Nick popped his head in, he was greeted by Judy sitting in her bed, new computer on her lap. "Enjoying the new toy, Carrots?"

Judy looked up at her partner excitedly. "You gotta come here and see this!"

Nick walked over to the bed and sat next to her. Judy scooted over in the bed until she was leaning into him. Had Judy been paying any attention to Nick, she would have seen a deep blush spread across his muzzle. _Luckily for me, she's a little more interested in paying attention to the iCarrot._ The feeling of her snuggled up to him was welcome, and would have set him daydreaming.

Luckily for him, what Judy was trying to show him came on screen soon.

 _Welcome to iCarrot. Hug me. :)_

"Isn't it just adorable!" squeaked Judy. The next screen, however, had her hung up. "What should I name it though?"

"It needs a name?" asked Nick, though he knew the answer.

Judy pointed to the box onscreen, asking her for a name for the computer.

"How about Judy the Third?" Judy punched him on the arm. "Ow, ow, ok. What about iCarrots?"

"That's better?"

"Well, it is an iCarrot, and you are Carrots…" He made a gesture as if to say 'you know the rest.' "In any case, I came up to ask what you wanted for lunch…" he trailed off for a moment as he got off the bed, "…and I need to get back down there to finish making lunch. It'll be finished in about 10 minutes, if you're interested."

Judy shook her head. "Thanks, but no thanks. I'll grab a sandwich later."

* * *

"So what did you go with?"

"iCarrots. I couldn't come up with anything better." Judy shrugged. "It's just a name, I suppose."

"Well, I'm glad my advice wasn't wasted." Nick opened the cabinet, putting away the clean dishes.

Judy looked pensive for a moment. "Nick, I have a question."

"Go for it."

"Why do you guys own an apartment building, yet don't have the permits to rent out to other mammals?"

"I suppose it started because it was something that mom and dad wanted…" Nick trailed off for a moment before continuing, "And I was able to get it for mom in the end. We've owned this building for about 5 and a half years. Much of it was a bit of a fixer-upper, though. The permit fees would have made it not worth it to rent out the extra pair of apartments."

"And you didn't build it up because…?"

Nick closed the cabinet. _Never let it show._ Luckily for him, he was facing away from Judy at that moment. "Never got around to it, I suppose."

Judy pressed on, slightly oblivious to Nick's growing discomfort. "On a slightly more prying level…" She hesitated, knowing that her next question was enough to set a couple people off on its own. "…assuming that it's okay?"

"Go for it. If I can't answer, though," warned Nick, "I won't."

"I've met your mother, brother, sister-in-law, niece and nephew…. But is there a Mr. Wilde?"

Nick hesitated. Even today, he wasn't quite ready to answer that question, something that Clawhauser had very quickly found out while dealing with his entry paperwork. _It's been so long, why can't I answer that without tearing up?!_ He dropped his head slightly, his ears drooping as well. "I don't want to talk about it, at least just now, Carrots."

"I'm sorry I didn't mean-" Judy found herself interrupted by a red missile entering the kitchen.

"Uncle Nick! Uncle Nick! Guess what…" Ellen entered, excitedly at first, but stopped when she saw the tears in her uncle's eyes. She grasped him in as big a hug as she could. "It's okay Uncle."

Judy found herself doing much the same. "I'm so sorry, Nick, I didn't mean to bring anything bad up."

Nick sniffed a little, before regaining some of his composure. "It's all okay, Carrots, I know. And it's been so long… you'd think I'd have gotten over it by now."

* * *

In the end, Nick had gone to his room, declining to sate Judy's curiosity.

With Ellen being tucked in by her parents, Judy found herself alone, with a burning question that she didn't want to ask any of the other Wildes- Nick was one of the most composed mammals that she knew, and if that question caused him to do that…

Her eyes flicked over to the gently pulsing iCarrot logo on the back of her new laptop. _I could always look it up really quickly… though that feels a bit like an invasion of privacy._

After a bit of time, she decided to do it. _Partners should know each other's pasts, I suppose._

She found herself going to Goatgle, yet any search for Wilde either led her to pieces on Nick's police past, the Night Howler case, or to the business. The remaining search option was a bit more intrusive, and arguably overstepping good ethics.

Yet her curiosity won out. The ZPD database listed Nick's parents as a Marie Shannon Wilde (formerly Edmonton) and a Jason Nicholas Wilde. Clicking on his father returned a wealth of information.

 _Jason Nicholas Wilde  
Born: 5 May 1958, Fairhaven  
Died: 16 Jul 1997, Savanna Central General Hospital  
Married: 12 Jul 1981 to Marie Shannon Edmonton  
Police Records: Speeding Ticket (19 Sep 1989) [Medically Waived]_

He died almost 20 years ago. So why was Nick's reaction as such? She was about to exit the tab when something caught her eye.

 _J. N. Wilde Death Investigation._

"Cheese and Crackers." she murmured.


	6. Chapter 5: The Unsolved Case

**A/N: I just want to thank all of you wonderful people for your support over the last couple chapters. 132 alerts and 68 favorites for this story… unbelievable numbers. I'm going to try to update every 2-3 days, schedule permitting, but things are kind of crazy. (Let's just say that I started this after what happened to Judy happened to me- of course, swapping the meter maid cart for a tree.)**

 **Chapter 5: The Unsolved Case**

 **Wilde Abodes  
June 28  
22:02**

Judy stared at the screen in front of her.

 _J. N. Wilde Death Investigation._

There had been an official police investigation into his death. Usually, that meant foul play was an option on the table. She clicked on the link. The first item in the list was an article from the _Zootopia Herald._

 _Local Mechanic dead after freak accident  
July 16, 1997_

 _Jason Wilde, 39, was pronounced dead at Zootopia's Savanna Central General Hospital early this morning following the collapse of an exhibit at the Natural History Museum late yesterday. Rumors are flying about why this happened, but the Museum is closed while an investigation is carried out._

 _Wilde is survived by his wife of 16 years, Marie, and his three children._

Wait, three? There was Nick and Nate… but who else? Shrugging, she scrolled on, though she knew that curiosity was going to nag at her to look into the missing sibling.

 _Museum remains closed  
July 20, 1997_

 _The Zootopia Natural History Museum remains closed today while investigations are going on following the death of a mammal. Officer Bogo of Zootopia's Precinct One had this to say: "As of yet, we are still looking into why this happened, and this case is now being handled as a potential murder investigation."_

"Bogo worked on the case, huh," whispered Judy to no one in particular. "Nice to see that they put a good officer on it." Continuing to scroll on

 _Wilde death "unfortunate accident"  
August 3, 1997_

 _Museum remains closed, ZPD: "no comment"  
August 12, 1997_

 _Museum interior collapses, "rigged to kill" says ZPD  
August 18, 1997_

 _In a stunning turn of events, the Natural History Museum's interior suffered a wide-spread collapse. "From what we can tell, the Museum was rigged to collapse in on itself," stated Officer Bogo, "It was fortunate, in a macabre way, that there was only one casualty." The building will undergo renovations for the forseeable future…_

Judy continued scrolling down, and she began to understand why Nick was still kind of sore about it. However, after this point, it was all ZPD notes- specifically Chief Bogo's.

 _September 24, 1997 – went to visit Wilde family, try to offer help. Offered what little I could, Mrs. Wilde looked tired._

 _November 3, 1997 – Wilde family came to talk to me about potential lawsuit against insurance company, who appear to be in violation of contract._

 _May 7, 1999 – Wilde family lost to insurance company. A clearly rigged jury, due to the family being foxes. Talked about potential lawsuit against city for financial assistance._

 _July 6, 2000 – City BLOCKED lawsuit from reaching verdict! Leodore Lionheart led the opposition to the block, but couldn't muster the votes._

Judy gasped. _I'd been talking about how anyone could be anything in Zootopia, and they had been living the exact opposite._ There wasn't another entry for a bit, but in a way, it offered minor satisfaction.

 _March 18, 2003 – That blasted insurance company went out of business. Good riddance- only mammals left using it were the city and ZPD… and even that wouldn't have been for very much longer. They showed their true colors way back when, and I couldn't trust that with the ZPD Officers._

That marked the end of the file, and surprisingly it left her with more questions than she had before. It also left her with a pit of guilt in her stomach. _After all that, I was possibly the first person he opened up to. And I nearly threw it all away at that stupid conference! I owe him, big time. I, Judy Hopps, vow to be the best friend that anyone, predator or prey, could have._

* * *

 **Zootopia Police Headquarters  
** **June 29  
07:54**

The pair walked into the station, bypassing Clawhauser, heading straight for the bullpen. Had they not, they would have noticed him rapidly hiding a lockbox. In fact, not a minute after, Bogo stepped into the lobby. "CLAWHAUSER!"

"Yes, chief?" The big cat looked up nervously.

"What have I told you about the betting pot?"

"Uh-"

"You almost blew it!"

"Sorry, chief."

"Just make sure it doesn't happen. Oh- and Clawhauser?"

"Yes, chief?"

"Put me down for 40 on Wilde admitting it publicly first." Bogo pulled a couple of bills out of his wallet and handed them to Clawhauser. "But 40 on Hopps saying no to him."

"Seems a little harsh. Easy bet on the first." Replied Clawhauser with a grin. "But the second?"

Bogo suppressed a laugh. "You need to stop watching all those cartoons. I doubt Nick's story follows that of _Wrangled_... Sure, she put him on the straight and narrow, but they're not going to fall in love and marry and live happily ever after."

Clawhauser leaned forward, a small smirk on his face. "Wanna bet on it?"

"I already did."

"Side bet then. Say the officers make it official. You say she says no, I say she says yes. Loser buys both Gazelle tickets."

Normally Bogo wouldn't have stooped to that challenge. However, "I accept the terms. However, prepare to lose- he's pining, she's not."

"I'll take that risk." Clawhauser stuck out his hand.

Bogo took it firmly and shook. _Easy free tickets._

* * *

Judy sighed at the paperwork stack in front of her. _Nick has it so easy, pulling parking duty._ Normally the fox would have started throwing paper airplanes… or just straight up balled up paper. Anything to relieve the tedium of doing a stack of paperwork.

 _Speaking of…_ Judy looked up at her desk computer. Most of the files on the server weren't accessible to anyone not on a ZPD computer. _There are so many questions that I could answer. Right there._ She glared down at her current paperwork. It was police work on the Armadillo Arms complex. _Condemned, awaiting demolition. Cheese and crackers._ That waiting list for apartments was going to be long- and since she had a "backup," she was going to be tossed way down the list. _Could be a year or more before I get my own place again… though why would I ever want to leave Nick's? The complex feels more like a large house than apartments- and has a fair bit of space to boot!_ Shaking her head, she returned to the papers in front of her.

Curiosity eventually got the better of her, and she found herself searching the database before too long.

 _WildeJN(07151997-0006)  
unsolved. Case last opened at request of Chf Bogo, 2010-2012. Case deemed inconclusive, yet almost certainly foul play- belief that the victim was not a mere accident._

 _Suspect that suits brought by Wilde family blocked by accomplice- no verification though, but keep this lead open._

Judy closed the browser when she heard footsteps approaching the office she shared with Nick. "Hey Carrots? Want to grab lunch?" Nick popped his head around the door, and then frowned. "You alright?"

Judy composed herself and turned around to face her partner. "Your habits are rubbing off on me! I thought you were Bogo."

"Oh?" Nick smiled. "Wasting time?"

"Yeah, yeah." She rolled her eyes. "The once great Judy Hopps, succumbing to the evil influences of one Nicholas Wilde."

Nick stifled a laugh. "You sound like Nate. He used to say that all the time."

Judy shrugged. "Well maybe if you weren't such a natural con artist in your youth." She maturely stuck her tongue out at Nick.

She turned off her terminal before heading out of the office.

* * *

When she returned to her desk, she sneakily navigated back to the page she had been at, only to receive a major shock.

 _Case details not available._

Generally this meant an investigation re-opening. A quick navigation to the open case files confirmed that this wasn't the reason- something which puzzled and worried Judy Hopps.


	7. Chapter 6: Bunnyburrow

**A/N: I wanted to take this time to reply to 2 recent reviews, so here goes!**

 **Guest05: Thanks for your concern. Luckily the house is standing and still good to live in- a bit cramped for a large family though (insert joke about burrows here ;) ). The story is a bit of a vent as well though. That being said, I won't try to rush anything.**

 **Matri: I also imagined that there would have to be a reason- most legislation proposed has some reason for proposal- usually after something impacts someone[s]. Given that we know 2 Zootopian politicians, and I doubt Bellwether would propose that… (After all, she was prepared to ride the racial divide to political power)**

 **Once again, thanks everyone for reading, reviewing, following and favoriting! It really does mean a lot to me. (Hope this chapter is worth the wait!)**

 **Chapter 6: Bunnyburrow**

 **Zootopia Central Station  
July 3  
11:26**

The scale of Zootopia Central was immense, towering above even the tallest of the Zootopian citizenry. Indeed that was the goal of the original architects- once upon a time this was the first thing almost all new Zootopians saw.

The effect was evident to the group even today, perhaps even more so due to their relatively shorter stature to the tallest of the mammals. The only ones of the group who weren't gazing around in awe were Marie and Stephen, the former having travelled through the station many times in her life, the latter asleep in a stroller.

Judy and Nick had planned to go to Bunnyburrow to celebrate Unification Day in the country with the Hopps family, then attend the festival later that week. The plans had changed, with the others coming along for the Unification Day festivities, though Nate, Jessie and Stephen would be returning shortly after, due to a large order that had to be started on the 6th.

Nick looked over at Ellen, who was asking questions at a rate that would rival a machine gun, and at Judy, who was answering them just as fast. In a way, it was one of those charms of the young fox- she had a way of making mammals like her. Case in point- the two had known each other for not even 2 weeks, and they were talking as if Judy was family. _Aunt Judy has a nice ring to it._ He mentally slapped himself. _No, don't go there!_ He subtly turned away from the pair before burying his muzzle into the guide he was reading, _Mammal's Guide to Bunnyburrow._

His subtlety may have fooled most people, but not Marie. She raised an eyebrow at her elder son's antics before looking towards the exited fox and rabbit pair. Marie looked back at Nick, who was still "absorbed" in his book. _Why would he…_ A realization came to the elder fox, who suppressed a chuckle. _I suppose that explains why he hasn't been on any dates since the case. Grandma would not have approved._ Mentally, she shuttered at remembering her father's mother. _I, on the other hand, wish you well… I can only hope her parents would too._

* * *

The journey to Bunnyburrow was another experience for most of the family, with most of the foxes finding the agricultural fields that they passed somewhat interesting ("It's just fields." "Well I've never seen these before!"). The 211 miles flew by fairly quickly, and before long, the family was getting off the train, where they found a large group of fairly similar looking rabbits holding up signs. Some said Hopps, others said Wilde. One little one even made a sign saying "I like signs!"

Judy found herself mobbed by the family of bunnies, before the crowd moved to meet the Wildes, particularly Nick, who they knew from Judy's letters home. One little one, wielding a stuffed carrot, toddled over to the stroller where he was surprised to find a fox of about his size. The meeting was truly one for the ages, and the pair would be inseparable during Stephen's stay.

After some time, the families decided to head towards the farm. One of the older rabbits took the luggage in the truck, allowing the others to show the Wildes around the town. All around, you could see the mammals working to get set up for the next day's festivities. Several stages and stands were all going up in the middle of town, and the main street running through town had streamers, banners, and all sorts of decorations. Towards the outskirts of the town one could see more stands, though they seemed to be less assembled. "Carrot Days takes place at the fairgrounds at the edge of town," explained Judy, "It gives more room for stands, games, and rides than in the center of town. Plus it is easier for the farmers and vendors to get to and unload their goods."

"Wouldn't it make more sense to run the Unification festivities there then?" asked Ellen.

"Well it's tradition that the Unification Day is in the main square. Until a couple years ago, Carrot Days was hosted by the various farms in turn. I think it was when the Baamutton Farm flooded just before they were due to host it that they started hosting at the fairgrounds."

The buildings of the town soon gave way to the incomplete stands at the fairgrounds, before even those gave way to fields. Various fruits, vegetables, and grains all protected by _Midnicampum holicithias-_ Night Howlers. Nick repressed a shudder while looking at the flowers, remembering the case from last year. Quietly, he moved over towards Nate, who was the only other family member not engaged in conversation with someone else. "Psst."

Nate looked over at his brother. "What is it?"

"You see those flowers ringing the field?"

Nate looked over at the line of flowers separating the road from the crops. "Yeah?"

"Night Howlers. They seem to be around every field."

Nate paled momentarily. "What for?"

Nick opened his mouth to reply, but then hesitated. "I don't know…" He turned towards the crowd, particularly Judy. "Hey, Carrots? What's with all the Night Howlers?"

Judy turned towards him, and slowed down until she was walking with Nate and Nick. "Night Howlers? Where- Oh!" She gave a sheepish look to Nick. "They're used as bug repellant."

"Is it going to be harmful to Stephen or Ellen?" The concern was evident all over Nate's muzzle, though not one of an accusation- he remembered how hard it had been to keep his work materials safe from Ellen and Stephen, and vice versa.

"The thing to remember is that what Bellwether was using during the incidents was a highly concentrated form. There was more in one pellet than surrounding most of the fields around here. At worst, if Stephen were to eat one, he might be grumpy, maybe slightly scratchy towards anyone for a couple hours, a day tops. Thing is, all Hopps kits know to stay away from them. I dare say even Evan, the kit who's over there with Jessie and Stephen now, knows to keep way from them."

This answer seemed to put Nate at a little bit more ease. Nick smiled at Judy and mouthed "Thanks."

The Hopps farm was not a great distance from town, but was a good enough distance that it was fairly private. The driveway from the road led to a house that was large, but otherwise unassuming. _Of course it'd be large,_ reasoned Nick, _she is one of 276._ It reminded Nick of the old homes one could find dotting the countryside in the home style magazines that Marie and Jessie tended to read and leave lying around. Stepping inside the house, the typical country house atmosphere continued, though the house felt bigger on the inside.

The atmosphere had an additional feel of being busy, as it seemed to Nick that there was an unreasonable number of bunnies doing an unreasonable number of things. And yet, as opposed to being the hectic chaos that one would expect, it was very orderly. The pair of bunnies doing the direction turned towards the group, with most of the welcoming party joining the fray. "Sorry you folks had to see all this, we've been running a bit behind schedule. In any case, welcome to Bunnyburrow! I'm Bonnie, and this is Stu."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," added Stu, giving an honest grin and a handshake.

* * *

The bedrooms took the same form through much of the house. Most had a bookcase, desk, and closet, while a couple of the older ones had televisions. Originally Stephen was going to be with Jessie and Nate, but Evan and Stephen decided that they wanted to have an impromptu sleepover in Evan's room- luckily this was only 2 doors down from the parents. Marie was also nearby, though in her own room. Judy would be getting her old room, while Nick's room was a few doors down from there. Nick was moderately surprised about the amount of police décor adorning Judy's room. Ellen, like Stephen, had found a friend, Jackie, and the pair were also going to be having an impromptu sleepover.

If the setup of the Wilde's house in Zootopia was reminiscent of an apartment building, then this was reminiscent of a hotel, Nick decided. Not that it was a bad thing- it worked effectively, for starters. The bed was as comfortable as the one he had at home, and dinner may have been even better- even if it was only because of the blueberry pie that was for dessert. He found himself drifting off to sleep quite quickly after he hit the bed.

Perhaps he ate something funny, as he found himself staring at the front door of the Hopps' house. Yet somehow, he found himself walking with a purpose up the driveway. When he reached the front door, he knocked. The door was quickly opened by Stu Hopps. "What do you want, fox?" The last word was spit with a venom that he'd never known Stu to have from any time he'd either met the mammal or in any letter.

"I was hoping to ask for your permission to seek your daughter's hand in marriage."

The older bunny laughed coldly. "Bunnies don't associate with foxes. In fact, I want you to stop associating with my daughter."

"And what is going to stop me from ignoring you?"

"Oh, just this." He whipped out a tazer, and with reflexes not expected of a mammal pushing 50 easily, tazed Nick.

It was when Nick saw the muzzle being brought out that he tumbled out of his dream.

Back in the real world, Nick looked at the clock on the side table. _1:04._

Not long after, he heard his phone buzz. Picking it up, he saw that Judy had texted him.

 _You ok?_

Nick paused. It was a simple question, yet a hard answer. He knew that he wasn't going to be able to tell her the entire story, but it would be a hell of a lot easier than pretending it was nothing.

 _Bad dream. That obvious?_

 _I'm pretty sure that I'm the only one who knows on the floor. Sensitive hearing and all that._ Nick cursed under his breath.

A moment passed without Nick replying before his phone buzzed again. _Nick, realize that if you don't text me back I'm going to come over there and check on you. I'm not letting you stay half awake all night again._

 _Sorry, I get a little jumpy at new places._

 _Want me to come over?_

 _Only if you're okay with it, Carrots._

He didn't have to wait long for his door to open. In came Judy, wrapped in a blanket, wielding 2 mugs of hot chocolate. "Hey, partner."

'Hey. Sorry to wake you."

Judy chuckled. "It's alright, I was already awake. Had a bad dream of my own."

Nick looked at his partner curiously. "You too?"

Judy nodded and handed him a mug before looking down at her mug. "It's kind of silly."

"It can't be that bad."

"Nighthowler case." Nick looked at her for clarification. "I just see Bellwether hitting everyone with those pellets... and from there, it got weird."

"Oh?" Nick perked up somewhat, as he couldn't help getting a feeling that the next bit was going to be interesting.

"Yeah. Bellwether used the incident to keep control. I became a martyr after she turned you and had you kill me- she discovered the blueberry swap- and I wouldn't get a second chance at that press conference. She would have used mine and Gazelle's deaths at the hands of predator friends to keep power…"

As Nick's ears dropped, he heard sniffling from his partner. "There, there," he said, gently pulling her into a hug. "You bunnies, so emotional." He said that, fighting a minor smirk. The slight giggle through the tears told him that he'd succeeded with that line. "It's just a bad dream." _Yeah, great line for use considering that nightmare from a couple of weeks ago._

"I know. It just felt… so real." She turned towards her partner, a nervous expression in her eyes. "This may seem a little forward, but could I sleep in your room tonight?"

Nick was taken aback. Here was his crush, asking to sleep with him. _Not that way!_ He told himself. He could feel a slight blush creeping up his muzzle. He thanked his luck that the room was dark, and Judy wouldn't be able to see that blush- though to be fair, he could see the blush creeping up hers. "Sure thing," he replied after what had been a fairly awkward pause.

He scooted over to the one edge of the bed, allowing Judy to hop on. The distance between the pair was appropriate for a pair who were 'just friends,' though close enough to be a comforting presence.

Nick found himself awake long after the soft snores from Judy had started. As he looked over, he found the peace that had crossed her face to be adorable, and soothing in its own right. He found his eyelids getting heavier. _Cheese and crackers, I would love to sleep like this every day…_ Not long after, his snores joined Judy's.


	8. Chapter 7: Vacation

**A/N: Just quickly replying to some reviews.**

 **SLADExxHEART- Don't worry, I will be finishing. Twas a long week, so I'm a little behind. Also I actually started the story 3 days after the tree hit- The date of the first chapter is the same as that of the storm that hit me in real life ;)**

 **Thomas Linquist- I'm glad to hear that you think I'm getting better as I go! At first, I thought Judy would fall first too, but in thinking on it, I started thinking the opposite- Judy struck me as more impulsive (most of the time), while Nick's every move during his con days would be planned out meticulously- especially as he had not been arrested once, and he'd been doing it "since he was twelve." *rewinds carrot pen* I imagine that he'd be more likely to be analytical (if not overly so). I won't claim to understand the mammalian mind, except from my untrained opinion.**

 **7 and Pedo-Sandwich- I find it a bit funny how close to guessing the start of the chapter you were. You were both right. Kudos to both of you!**

 **Once again, thanks for all your support! It really does mean a lot to me!**

 **Chapter 7: Vacation**

 **Hopps Farm  
July 4  
09:07**

Nick groggily opened his eyes, observing his blurred surroundings. The vague outlines of the room he had started the night in were still visible. The soft breathing and warmth of another mammal lulled him back into sleep. _Good, because I was just dreaming of-_

Nick's mind screeched to a halt. He slowly looked down towards the unknown mammal. Gray fur and long ears were what met his view. There, lying snuggled into him, was his partner/best friend/crush… were he not worried about how she'd react, he'd have chalked it up to the best day of his life. After all, how often do you wake up with your crush snuggled into you for all they're worth?

Using all the patience he had, he managed to pry the sleeping bunny off of himself, nearly waking her up despite all this. Her stirring abated when he gave her a pillow, which she proceeded to snuggle as if it was him. He sighed, _I wish she was thinking of me._

Opening his suitcase, he pulled out a green Hawaiian print shirt, blue tie, and khakis. Flipping over the tie, he rubbed the small name label, sewed in carefully years ago. _Was it this hard for you, dad?_

Slipping it on, he quietly left the room so as not to disturb the still sleeping Judy, and went to follow the delicious scents of breakfast wafting through the house.

Not ten minutes later, Judy stirred up from the best sleep she'd had since before she started at the academy. She opened her eyes to find herself cuddling a pillow. _I didn't think I was cuddling this when I went to sleep…_ Lifting her head up, she found herself asking more questions, as she was now in the center of the bed. In fact, she was closer to the edge where Nick had been than the edge that she had started out on. _What happened last night?_

* * *

The day seemed to fly by. Nick swore that he blinked and suddenly it was evening. And somehow he'd agreed to keep an eye on Ellen and her friend- Jackie, he thought it was. Of course that was easier said than done, especially when you load a pair of kits with a ton of sugar, in a town square with toys, games and more sugar. _Add in the promise of fireworks, and boom! 2 crazy girls._

Nick was slightly thankful that the girls were giving him something to do that wasn't dwelling and worrying about Judy's reaction to what happened the last night. He didn't see her at breakfast or lunch- the first was no surprise, given how often she didn't eat if he didn't grab donuts in the morning, but the latter worried him slightly.

Of course, what Nick didn't realize was that Judy had the same exact worries- though she was not distracted by 2 excitable overdosing-on-sugar kits, but by an old crush from high school. Bryan, like her, was dedicated to a fault- she chose police work, while he decided to go for track and field. Admittedly, both had met with success very early in their respective careers- he was already a medalist on the world stage, and was looking to take the gold at the Games in August.

Nick had stopped to take a breath while the girls played whack-a-thief. By his count, this was the seventh time that they'd stopped there. Hopefully the eighth time was going to follow the seventh so he could find a hay bale to sit down on for a couple minutes. He was so out of it that he missed the tapping on his shoulder, "'scuse me, fella."

Nick turned towards the voice to find himself looking at another fox. He was reddish brown, and slightly rotund. And he smelt strongly of baked goods. "Can I help you?"

"Ah've heard lots aboutcha. Didn't think I'd get ta meetcha." The stranger held out a paw, "The name's Gideon. Gideon Grey."

Nick took shook the outstretched paw and shook. "Nick Wilde. Pleasure to meet you."

"Pleasure's all mine." Gideon gave an honest smile. "Not a lot of foxes round these parts."

"You said it- you're the first one I've seen that's not related to me by blood. Or marriage."

"What brings you and your family round these here parts?"

"Invited by Judy."

"Ah." He looked nervously at the ground. "Ah… um…"

Nick held up a paw and cut him off there. "If you're about to apologize for something from the past, leave it there. You didn't wrong me, and I believe she forgave you."

Gideon looked at him thankfully. "Thank yah for that. Took me a while to forgive mahself. I let an old idea tell me who ah was."

Nick shrugged. "Took me almost twenty years to learn that myself."

* * *

He had to hand it to them, they had truly outdone themselves this year. The fireworks display was quite possibly the best that he'd seen in all the years he'd lived in Bunnyburrow. Admittedly, his wife might argue that he was easily impressed.

Stu Hopps sat up from where he had been lying. The hill outside of town was quite possibly the Hopps family's favorite spot to view the display, and they made sure to grab hold of it in advance every year.

Bonnie had started home, as had most of the younger kits, but some of the older ones were still waiting on him to start home. They could wait a bit, he decided, laying back down to gaze towards the stars. As he did, he vaguely listened into the murmurs of conversation.

"Tim said that they made all their fireworks this year!"

"Davey Woolard, he's a-dorkable, amirite?"

"I heard Nick met Gideon!" _This ought to be interesting,_ thought Stu, listening into that conversation.

"How'd that go? Remember what he did to Judy?"

"Nick said that if Judy forgave him, that's what mattered." _Huh, smart cookie._

"Did Judy say anything?"

"Nah, she was with Bryan Swiftfoot." _Oh no._ Stu repressed a shudder. There was something about that kit that didn't sit well with the Hopps patriarch. _For one thing, his reputation._ He was what Stu's grandfather called the "one-and-done" type- he used you until he got what he wanted out of you. Others called him a ladykiller or a playboy.

For Stu Hopps, only one thing was for sure. Swiftfoot wanted something from Judy. _Admittedly_ , Stu thought, _I never thought Gideon Grey would change, so maybe he has too?_

Lying there, he thought back to the girl he was dating before Bonnie. _Grace Woolworth._ He repressed a chuckle. _Dad hated that relationship, threatened to cut me off if I asked her father for her paw in marriage._ It hadn't worked out regardless, and led him to Bonnie. _Between Swiftfoot and Nick, Dad would only have said Nick if Swiftfoot was a serial killer._

He was interrupted from his musing by a blur of giggling red entering his vision. "Oof!" _That is going to smart in the morning._

"Oh my gosh, Stu, I am so sorry!" Jessie was rushing towards him, searching through the diaper bag slung across her shoulder.

"It's okay," replied Stu, getting up from his spot on the ground. "When you get to my amount of parenting, you get used to it." He found Stephen was still standing next to him, as was Evan. Scooping the pair up in his arms, much to the pairs' entertainment, he started for the house.

Jessie pulled out an icepack and a bit of medical tape. "Where did he run into?"

Stu responded meekly, "Left eye, next to the nose."

* * *

It was a little sad to see Nate and Jessie leave on the train, even though the remaining Wildes would be enjoying what was left of their vacation in Bunnyburrow. Stephen was waving goodbye to his parents, much like he had done several times before, usually when they had to travel somewhere farther away on business. To him, he knew that he'd be back with them.

Ellen was doing the same, though she was much more of an old hand at this than her little brother. Looking at his niece and nephew, Nick chuckled. The boys were inseparable, while the girls seemed to have added a third to their group, Ava. The three had pooled their tickets together, and managed to get the grand prize- a toy electric car big enough for the trio to sit in. They were already being affectionately dubbed the _terrible trio_ , as they had been seen asking about sirens or lights.

The morning was young, so he wasn't surprised to see how few of the Hopps family had come out to wish Nate and Jessie off. Stu and Bonnie were a given, as hosts, and Evan, Ava, and Jackie were there wishing their friends' parents off. _That makes Judy the only friend of the family's that didn't come out._ Not that he blamed her, apparently she had dragged herself in much later than everyone else.

As a gesture of thanks, the Wildes offered to help with the preparation of breakfast- well Nick and Marie did, while the younger ones fell asleep at the table. Even then, it still wasn't the hardest task, as the waffle batter was simply mix with water, and most of the rest was slow cooked from when they were prepared the day before. _In Zootopia, these guys could open a restaurant if they wanted,_ chuckled Nick to himself, _they have the serving by volume down to an art form._

In the center of town, the streets were being cleaned, and the stands had been dismantled. At the edge of town, the site for Carrot Days was looking a lot better and much better than it had when he arrived. _So much for a small county fair… they look like they're building an amusement park!_

Nick was brought out of his musing by a crash from behind him. He turned around to find Stu clutching what remained of a cart- the front wheels having just fallen off.

"Cheese and Crackers!" Stu aimed a well-placed kick at the back wheels of the cart, which promptly took this as high time to make like their brothers at the front, and come off, leaving Stu behind a cart with no wheels.

"Need help?"

"Sure." Stu replied glumly. "Just don't tell Bonnie or anyone else about this?"

Nick held up his paw, "Wilde's Honor."

Nick spent much of the morning helping Stu set up the stand, learning more about the town, the farm, and Judy's family. When the stand was done, he'd helped fix up the cart, and then helped the family pick berries for a bit. When he came in, Stu thanked him heartily for his help, to which the fox could only reply with a casual, "It was no trouble at all."

* * *

The rest of the vacation passed without much note. Carrot Days proved fun, though by the end of it, the Wildes were a little tired out from all of the festivities, and were looking forward to going home. Thankfully, they had taken the train there, allowing Marie, Jessie, and the kids to sleep.

Judy, on the other hand, was gushing about her week. "…and I ran into several of my friends from high school. I can't believe how long it's been!"

Nick chuckled. "Didn't you say that the last time you saw them?"

Judy rolled her eyes and punched him in the arm. "I also ran into Bryan."

"Swiftfoot? The athlete?" Nick wasn't the biggest fan of track and field, and only really paid attention during the final events. The name came up a lot though, and it was something that Judy had mentioned before.

"Yep. He seems to have matured a bit since we were in high school."

"Still have what your dad calls the 'one-and-done' attitude?"

"Seems so. He's been going steady for about a year and a half now, but the relationship seems to be on the rocks."

Nick nodded. "Yeah, most fail. You just have to find the right one." _Like you. Courageous, smart, friendly…_ "I would have thought he'd be training, given the Games next month."

"Yeah, apparently his trainer told him to go spend a couple days back in town. Or was it his publicist…" Judy trailed off, apparently deep in thought. Her phone took that as meaning it was a good time to go off.

Nick watched as her face scrunched up into a frown. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"Any chance you could take my stuff to the apartment? Apparently Bogo wants me to go into the station ASAP."

"Sure thing. Though, come to think of it, why does he want you there?"

"It doesn't say."

The pair looked at each other. That was rarely a good sign.


	9. Chapter 8: Police Work

**Chapter 8: Police Work**

 **Zootopia Police Headquarters  
July 10  
14:52**

She had figured that the Chief would know about her snooping, and she had gone into his office immediately after returning. Needless to say, he was not pleased. "Did you really think I wouldn't notice what you had been up to?"

Judy's ears dropped. "I-" she paused, then dropped the response she wanted to give. "Sorry."

Bogo's nostrils flared momentarily, then eased up as the buffalo relaxed and put his reading glasses on. "As of tomorrow, I'm temporarily reassigning you."

Judy stared at him, dumbstruck. "But-"

Bogo decided to cut her off before she could get a full head of steam. "I would assign the both of you to this case, but that would be breaking policy for Wilde. As this is his father's death we're looking into."

If Judy thought she was dumbstruck before, she had to find a new phrase for her shock here. "But why?"

"Partially new evidence, partially because I believe that if anyone can solve it, it's you, and partially a sort of self-interest."

"Self-interest, sir?"

"The only case I was assigned to that didn't get resolved was the Wilde death case." He slid a red case file over to her, which she tentatively opened.

The dates jumped out at her. _1997\. 1999. 2004. 2010. 2016._ "With all due respect sir, this case is almost twenty years old. The Otterton case wasn't even twenty hours old."

"Perhaps," sighed Bogo. "But we have some time, as we're not worrying about some kidnapped mammals. I want you to go look at it and talk to me next week." He handed her a lockbox and key. "I can't very well keep Wilde out of the office that the two of you share. But we can't have him on it."

"Is that all?" asked Judy, sliding the case file into the lockbox.

"Come to think of it, there was something else…"

* * *

 **Zootopia City Archives  
** **July 17  
** **11:43**

She had kept her promise. Nick was on parking duty for that week and the upcoming one ("Maybe I can beat your record finally.") and was none the wiser to the fact that she was looking into his father's death. He knew that she had been doing investigating for Bogo, but that was all.

She sneezed as she opened the drawer for the Natural History Museum. _Someone needs to dust better in here._ Thankfully, the folders were labelled by year of filing. She pulled out the 1997 folder, and for good measure, the 1996 one as well.

As she started to shut the drawer, she heard the quiet movement of what sounded like a stack of papers moving around in the bottom.

She pulled out her phone, and turned on the flashlight. At the bottom of the drawer lay a manila envelope. She reached in and pulled it out gently, moving it into the light to better look at it.

She was surprised to find only a vague _1996-1997_ written on the envelope in the upper corner. Shrugging, she put it into the case lockbox along with the other folders, deciding to read them at the station.

000000000000000000000

Nick was dragging by this point in the day. With his partner assigned to other, nameless tasks, he was left on parking duty by the chief. _Cheese and Crackers, police work is so BORING._

Had he been in the police cruiser, he probably would have stolen a nap. He wasn't catching Judy's record that morning. Nor any other morning, it seemed. Maybe he was more lenient? _Perhaps_ , he reasoned, _her 201_ _st_ _ticket of that day was herself, after all!_

From where he was sitting, he could see a vixen pushing a stroller. Normally, that wouldn't have surprised him. What did surprise him was the little figure in the stroller- who was wearing a small gray onesie. _Please tell me that's not Finnick,_ he pleaded, _please tell me he's not in a rut._

The vixen in the stroller turned into Jimbeaux's. _Holy crud! No way!_ Nick knew that he had to see what they were up to.

Inside the parlor, the vixen was putting on all of the schmooze she could muster. While Nick couldn't hear what was being said, he had the feeling that Jimbeaux wasn't buying why she wanted to buy the popsicle. Eventually though, he relented, and the vixen paid and left.

He had the advantage here, as he knew where all of the steps were completed. _Still, why is he hitting up Jimbeaux's again?_ Shrugging mentally, Nick walked into the shop.

The parlor had not changed in the time since the last heist he and Finnick had pulled off. Barring the change in the sign- which now read "Smile! You are on camera!" - and the trunk gloves being worn by the workers, it looked exactly the same.

Jimbeaux nodded at Nick. Their relationship was still slightly frosty, but not hostile. It helped that Nick made a point of coming in at least once a week. "What'll it be, Officer?"

"Mocha Shake to go please." Nick slapped the money on the counter. He would never admit it in front of Judy, but he did not get that drink just for the caffeine. _It's quite good, especially the way Jimbeaux does it._

The elephant passed the shake down to the fox. "Old partner in that stroller?"

"You know it." Nick chuckled.

"Vixen's a looker."

Nick shrugged. "Not my type. Plus I've gotta keep on the straight and narrow."

"Surprised you got this far."

Nick flicked his aviators open. "Just have to keep all of the right mammals convinced I am."

As Nick left the shop, the familiar sight of Finnick's van greeted him, passing the other way.

Instead of heading for the rooftops, Nick headed toward the field that he and Finnick used to re-freeze Pawpsicles in Tundratown. Sure enough, the vixen and Finnick were there. It was at this moment that he took a look at her.

Her fur was a brownish red, very close to Gideon's shade. Her eyes were a light brown, very similar to Finnick's. She stood a couple of inches shorter than him, which was still notably taller than Finnick. Her movements had the grace of a dancer, and she had the athletic body of a gymnast. She spoke with a soft toned, yet heavily accented voice. _Clearly a country girl._

Nick paused momentarily, wondering if she had come to Zootopia, much like Judy, but found herself down and out in the city before long. _If Bunnyburrow was further away, and Carrots hadn't been able to get back with the ZPD, could that have been Judy?_

True to form, when they were done, they headed back into town, where they waited outside Lemming Brothers. Once the Lemmings were on their way out, the Pawpsicles were flying- in about 4 minutes, they were all gone. Once that was over, the pair had gathered the leftover sticks, ad started to bundle them up.

Nick decided that this was as good a time to stop them as ever. "Finnick!"

The diminutive fennec looked up at the familiar voice. Seeing who it was, he groaned. "Oh great."

Nick continued, "I'm going to need to see a permit, sir."

"Hey, Nick! How have you been doing? I don't believe that you've met my new partner, Stacey."

Nick nodded curtly at the vixen before returning to glare at the fennec. "I need to see a permit."

Finnick started to sweat heavily. Nick was kind of enjoying this, as Finnick had always made fun of his tendency to get permits for cons.

It was at this moment that the vixen decided to step in. "Surely you don't need to see a permit," she said, batting her eyelids at Nick.

Nick stood there, unfazed. Eventually, Finnick lost it. "You know I don't have one!"

Nick sighed, then applied a smirk to his muzzle. "I suppose I wasn't completely off the mark getting one before, was I?"

"No."

"I'll let you off with a warning." Finnick's expression turned to one of relief. "Seriously though, you two, get a permit."

* * *

Nick trudged back into the station and headed into his office.

Surprisingly, Judy was there as well, holding the lockbox for her case. When he came in, she looked alarmed and quickly stuffed the lockbox in her desk. "Nick, you're back early!"

Ignoring the alarmed look on his partner's face, he slid into his own desk. "Yep."

"How'd it go?"

"Only 104."

Judy grinned. "Dumb Fox, you have to step up your game if you want to beat my record."

"I ran into an old friend." The computer in front of him beeped.

"How'd it go?"

"No permit, selling Pawpsicles in front of Lemming Brothers."

Judy held back a laugh. "Déjà vu much?"

"You know it." He paused, "Had a new partner."

"Oh? How knowledgeable was he?"

"First off all, it was a _she,_ and second, she tried flirting to get out of trouble."

Judy felt an unexplained feeling well up in her. "And?"

"Didn't change my course. They still got the warning." Nick was focused on the keyboard, so missed the grimace that had been on Judy's muzzle. "She wasn't my type anyway. And you know how much of a hopeless romantic I am."

Judy rolled her eyes at him. "Alright, if you need a wingman, you got one."

Nick merely nodded.


	10. Chapter 9: Investigation

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to post, my internet was spotty at best on vacation this past week.**

 **To top it off, I get back from vacation, and my basement floods. Again.**

 **I want to thank all you lovely readers again for sticking with this story. It certainly means a lot to me, and I'll keep writing as long as you keep reading! (Occasionally the next chapters will take slightly longer to put out and I do apologize)**

 **(EDIT: 8/2/16- cleaned up a scrap accidentally left in from a previous version of the chapter. Thanks Thomas Linquist for pointing it out!)**

 **Chapter 9: Investigation**

 **Wilde Arms  
July 25  
01:23**

There hadn't been much in the way of new leads in the Wilde Case, and both Judy and Chief Bogo were pulling their fur out. Any answer from Bellwether was cryptic at best, and her associates were no better. Neither really wanted to interview any of the Wildes at this time, especially as most lawyers would try to shoot down their testimonies- the incident in question had occurred almost 20 years prior.

It was of consolation that Mayor Lionheart was fully on board with what Bogo referred to as the "Wilde Cases." Judy was unaware of what the other case or cases were, and it looked as if it was supposed to stay that way.

Despite all this, the reason for the bunny's restlessness largely hinged on a borderline guilt. The secrecy of the investigation, she could handle. She didn't have an easy way to break it to him that she'd been tapped to act as security at the Games in August. _No doubt Swiftfoot put in that request._ She would be leaving in a week, and could be gone for three weeks. And she heard of the request 2 weeks before that.

She rolled over to look at her alarm clock. The soft green numbers told her that it she was up far too late for work tomorrow.

* * *

Despite the coffee, Judy was half asleep on her desk, staring at the computer. There was nothing. She had no new insights. No leads, no nothing. In her half unconscious mind, she started listing what she did know about the case.

 _Jason Nicholas Wilde, born July 29, 1958; died July 16, 1997. He left behind his wife Marie and three kits, Nick (1989), Nate (1992), and…_

She paused for a moment. Who WAS the third Wilde kit? She made a note of it.

 _He was a self-employed mechanic, owning Minimus Mechanics in Savannah Central from 1983 until his death in 1997. Upon his death, ownership of the business was transferred to Marie._

So when did they lose it? The current business was nearly 10 miles away from where Minimus was. Another question, another note.

 _But why Jason?_

In opening the lockbox, the envelope that had been in the bottom of the drawer slid out into her lap. She had completely forgotten about it until now.

She turned the envelope over in her hands. The only markings were a small _1996-1997_ written in the upper corner.

Opening it, she found a letter and another envelope.

 _To whomever has found this-_

 _Congratulations. As of October 2, 1998, this document was supposed to be destroyed. I had no choice but to hide it, as this reveals the level of hatred the current mayoral administration has towards predators. In particular, the family getting the short end of the stick, the Wildes._

 _Both Jason and Nora represent severe blows to the status of Zootopia as a city where "anyone can be anything." This is only true if you are a prey. "Preds" need not apply it would seem._

 _As it stands, this is my last action in the archives of the city of Zootopia. The one due to replace me arrives tomorrow. If these documents see the light of day, she will be one of the ones taking the biggest heat._

 _Dean Clawmann  
Archivist, Zootopia  
January 30, 2001_

Looking down at the date, she felt doubtful of the authenticity of it all. Yet, she had the one thought to go on. Who was Nora? And when did they lose ownership of that business? The city hadn't seized Predator-owned businesses, so that was out.

Judy looked at the address and shrugged. _Not too far away, I can walk there._

* * *

The building in front of her was larger than she expected. Through one of the windows, she could see various mechanics working on mammal's cars. There were 6 cars in the garage being worked on, and a lot next to the building currently held another 10.

Entering the building was a small desk with a register and computer on it. Next to the counter, on a television screen, was a list of cars labelled _Cars Being Worked_. Behind the counter was a hare, who was currently scribbling something down. He had on overalls and had a couple grease and oil stains on his ears.

Judy approached the hare and cleared her throat.

The hare looked up at her. "Sorry, I'll be with you in just a moment." He continued for about another 20 seconds before looking back up. "Sorry about that ma'am, had to finish writing the work I did on this car down really quickly. How can I help you today?"

She reached for her badge, "Officer Hopps, ZPD. I need to ask the owner a few questions."

The hare's ears fell. "This is about ol' Jason, isn't it?"

Judy nodded. "I take it you knew him?"

"He was my best friend and business partner. We opened Minimus together in '83." He pulled out a walkie. "Jamie, I need you to cover the counter for a couple minutes."

The response was slightly scratchy. "I'll be there in a moment, boss."

Beckoning Judy, he led her up the stairs into the waiting area. The hubbub of chatter was apparent, as was the scent of coffee and pastries. In the back corner was a simple plaque, memorializing Jason Wilde.

The hare and bunny sat down at the opposite ends of a table near the back corner. "I suppose I should have introduced myself. My name is Eric."

"Judy." Her response was short, but not hostile. "You founded this place with him?"

"Indeed. Opened in '83. He was always an ace mechanic. Wish we made more back in those days."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, he would work 60, 70 hour weeks. Kept us open for years."

"But you guys seem to be doing well now."

"We put all our chips in this place back in '95 to grow it. He saw it completed, thankfully."

"What happened when he died?"

"Marie, his wife, inherited his share in '97. She held onto it as long as she could. The family ran into some financial trouble in '01. I took a loan on my share to buy her out, try to keep the family afloat."

"Why didn't she just take a loan on her share?"

"Local bank wouldn't work with her. They went out of business in '04, probably pulled that stunt on too many preds. Maybe Big had a paw in its demise." He waggled his eyebrows. "He has those big bears as his bodyguards, treats them like family. And you don't mess with Big's family."

Judy nodded, having been on the receiving end of that. "So you bought her out in 2001. Did you know why she needed the money?"

"I don't think she'd want me to talk much about it." His ears fell slightly.

To Judy, this was a clear sign that he was well aware. While she wanted to press the issue, she didn't have any right to force him. _Plus,_ she added, _he's been more than helpful, especially without a warrant._ "That's understandable. Have you talked to them since?"

"Absolutely. Nicholas, the eldest, comes in regularly. Our families used to eat together about once or twice a month, but since the storm, work's taken a major tick upwards. The money's good, but my social life's been a mess since."

"I know what you mean."

* * *

Judy was sat back at her desk. Nick had gone to the dentist, so he had left early, giving her the whole office to herself. He'd been a major help during the Nighthowler Case- _heck, I would have failed without him._

She stared at her notes. No leads- she doubted Bellwether would cooperate, and even that was assuming that she played a role in it. _Presumably, that means that we're missing something big. And that she was a likely instigator, or accomplice._

 _But how? Why?_ Judy let out a sigh of frustration, slamming her head against the desk. Off tumbled her pen.

As she picked it up, the recorder in the pen played a recording that was almost a year old. "I make 200 bucks a day, fluff! 365 days a year since I was 12."

' _365 days a year since I was 12.'_

'… _since I was 12.'_

 _Nick was born in 1989. He was 12 in…_ Judy thought for a moment, then realized…

 _He'd been hustling since 2001. Did he have something to do with the case?_


	11. Chapter 10: The Split

**A/N: Thanks for all of the encouragement! It means a lot to me.**

 **Also apologies on how long it took to get this one out- I had to see where I was going to take this and the next couple of chapters, and this chapter got longer and longer. Busy week outside of writing didn't help either.**

 **Chapter 10: The Split**

 **Zootopia Police Headquarters  
July 26  
13:04**

Judy knew that she needed to talk to the Chief. Not just because he'd given her a deadline of 3pm, not just because she would be heading out on security detail for almost a month. She was about to potentially wreck another officer's career, and maybe her own.

 _Okay, MAYBE that's a bit of an overstatement._ Technically he'd never been convicted of anything, so he was probably in the clear- not that that relieved the bunny.

The fox in question was sat at his desk. Nick was currently bored out of his mind. The morning patrol had been slow, and Bogo had put the pair on 'paperwork duty.' He had no idea what this meant for Judy, as she had been split up from him for most of the last couple of weeks. In his case, this left him with nothing to do. "Probably the only good thing about parking duty," he muttered under his breath.

Nick looked over to his partner. She'd had a lot of late nights recently, and presumed that it had to do with whatever she was working on. He hoped that was also part of the reason for why she'd been distant and a bit cold towards him since the previous day. Shrugging, he decided to take a short stroll to see what Clawhauser was doing. On his way out, he passed by Bogo. "Afternoon, Chief."

Bogo's response was short, as usual. "Afternoon, Wilde."

Nick noticed that he hadn't looked up from the file folder that he was holding. Not unusual for the chief, he tended to pace when thinking about something. _Probably the schedules again._ Rumors were flying around the station that someone was being sent on security detail to the Games, and that there was a request from an outlying town for assistance. _Wish I was going on detail. That'd be pretty awesome, getting to go for free._

As soon as Nick had left, Bogo entered the office. "Anything to report?"

Judy sighed. "Spoke with the current owner of Wilde's old business. Says he bought out the Wilde's share in 2001. Seems to have left on a positive note, as he claimed that he would sell the share back to the family if they were interested."

Bogo nodded. "Unusual, but I believe that they were friends. I don't think he has anything to do with the case though…"

"Of course. But I can't help but shake the feeling that Nick has something to do with this."

"Oh?"

"On the N-Nighthowler case, you remember how he was usually there?" Judy's usually calm voice was peppered by a hint of anxiety.

"Yes. He proved quite a timely assistant to all of us. I still don't see how this relates to the case, though." Bogo was still quite confused.

"The family sold their part in the shop in 2001, the same year that Nick started as a con artist." Judy watched as Bogo gave a nod of understanding.

"And you think that there is a missing piece there?"

"Unfortunately yes. I have evidence that I-I- knew of his misconduct and I recommended him despite it all and if you want-"

"Hopps." Bogo cut her off before she could get a full head of steam. "You and he were pardoned. I will admit, I may have suggested that to Leodore." He gave a thin smile. "Regardless, I can assure you that I am well aware of the connection, and have been for years."

"As for the case on your hands," continued Bogo, "Is there anything else that I should know before I send you to the tropics for a couple weeks?"

Judy pulled the enveloped out of the lockbox. "This was hidden at the bottom of one of the archive drawers." Handing it to Bogo, she continued. "I wasn't sure of whether or not it was authentic, as it just seemed to line up a little too well."

Bogo looked through the note on the front. "I can speak with Clawmann about this. I wouldn't be too surprised, as the incoming administration was very anti-Pred, and his archivist was indeed Bellwether."

"I'll speak with Wilde- the live one- about his assignment while you are away. I trust that you've told him about yours?"

Judy froze. "Cheese and Crackers," she muttered under her breath.

"What assignment?" Nick stood in the doorway, holding a big travel mug.

Bogo looked back at Nick, then back to Judy. "I'll let Officer Hopps tell you about her assignment."

Judy started to sweat under Nick's gaze. "I-I-I got picked for security detail."

"That's great!" Nick replied. "But should I presume I should have known about it before now?"

"Yep." Bogo decided to keep his response short and sweet.

"I'm so sorry!" Judy replied, her amethyst eyes starting to glisten with unshed tears. "I didn't know when I should mention it to you and how I should mention it to you… He's an old high school guy I used to know…" She grabbed a tissue and wiped her eyes.

As she wiped her eyes, Bogo noticed Nick's ears droop for a moment, and a frown crossed his muzzle. Bogo admitted he wasn't rather fond of Swiftfoot either, especially after Hopps' tales from her high school days. "While Hopps is away, I have an assignment for you, Wilde."

* * *

Nick noted that Judy still seemed quiet on the ride home. "Penny for your thoughts?"

Judy rolled her eyes. "Just a penny? Aren't mine worth more than that?"

Nick feigned feeling hurt. "And here I thought I got a discount for being your friend."

She giggled. "Well maybe I should be asking for your thoughts."

"I asked first, carrots." He winked at her.

"Yeah, yeah. It's just… I feel conflicted."

"How so?"

"Well, to be honest, I'm going to be in a lovely city-"

"As security detail."

"Watching sporting events in person."

"So they don't get assaulted."

"Are you intentionally raining on my trip?"

"Yes." Nick paused for a moment at a red light. "Because you're conflicted. This way, I can get you to feel less guilty." Judy smiled warmly at Nick. _Just to see you smile…_ "Besides, I get to stay in safe old Bunnyburrow while you're away."

Judy closed her eyes. Part of her wanted to disagree with Nick, saying that she still got the better end of the deal. She knew that there was a possibility that things could turn ugly, and she could find herself needing to help get her charges out at the drop of a hat. It wouldn't be the first time something like that had happened, if it did.

Statistically speaking though, the odds were definitely in her favor. She was going to sit back and enjoy herself.

* * *

As the train pulled out of Zootopia Central, she wasn't quite as sure. It was ludicrously early- most of the coffee shops hadn't opened for the morning by the time she made it to the station. Yet the Wildes were all there, waving her off much like her family did in Bunnyburrow. She supposed that she should have mentioned that she was escorting Swiftfoot to the Games, but shrugged it off- late summer saw the family often preparing for the beginning of the harvesting season, which oddly meant more work.

The sights of Zootopia were much less visible during the night, so she decided to head towards her charge. Unfortunately for Judy, he was towards the front of the train, while she had gotten on very close to the back. Along the way, she found that most of the mammals on the train were asleep themselves, though many sat next to heaps of luggage.

Bryan Swiftfoot had taken up the entire row- one side of the aisle had luggage piled on one seat, with a small shoulder bag set on the seat next to it. On his side, there was the seat that he was sitting in, as well as the one next to him, where he had set down a jacket. The bunny himself was currently reading a book- she couldn't quite discern what book it was, though.

She smiled. She and Bryan had gone to Prom together the year that they graduated, and dated for the summer following. They'd split amicably- she attended college briefly before entering the police academy, and he attended college while training, making it and medaling at the tender age of 19, just a year after high school.

He was dedicated to his profession, and it showed, as he had a lean runners build going for him. He was well groomed and well dressed- well, about as much as one can be while travelling long distances. The reading light attached to the book lit up his jade eyes.

Judy grinned. _Looks as handsome as he did on Prom._ "Pardon me sir," she asked with a huge smile, "is this seat next to you taken?"

He looked up and blinked, his eyes taking a moment to adjust from the well-lit book to the dim lighting of the carriage around. As he recognized Judy he set the book down on the tray in front of him and got up. "Hey, Jude."

"Hey yourself. Enjoying the book?"

"Ah yes. I picked up the newest Harry Pawter book in the station back home." Holding out his arms, he continued. "Allow me."

Judy handed over her bags, which Bryan neatly piled in the seat next to his- then re-piled again once he realized that he had left his bag at the bottom of the stack. "Aisle or Window?"

Judy yawned. "Window, please."

After allowing her to pass, Bryan motioned to the bathroom. "I'll be right back." Judy responded with a nod.

When Bryan got back to the seats, he found that his companion was passed out in the seat next to him. Chuckling, he sat down and continued reading.

* * *

Later that morning, at a much more reasonable hour, the Wilde family was talking over breakfast.

"They want you to go to Bunnyburrow… on assignment… because why?" Jessie asked her brother-in-law.

"Something about some crimes going on, and they asked for backup." Nick responded, cutting into the stack of pancakes in front of him. "Didn't help they assigned Judy on guard duty."

"Guard duty?" Nate looked up. 'For who?"

"Bryan Swiftfoot. He specifically requested her, and the department consented. Doesn't hurt that crimes have been at their lowest in almost a quarter century."

"How long?" Marie decided to get in the conversation. "And do you need to get an apartment or something?"

"The department expects that it will take about 2 or 3 weeks, and I spoke to the Hopps yesterday, who said they'd be more than happy to have me."

Ellen bolted up, now ignoring the stack of pancakes that she'd been devouring just before. "The Hopps? Do you think they'd let me come too?"

Nate looked sternly at his daughter, but was cut off by Jessie before he could say anything. "Ellen, I don't know if they can. After all, it is very close to the harvest for them. They might be very busy."

"Please!" Ellen pleaded, putting on the cutest eyes that she could. "I could help them out, if that's what the problem is!"

Silence reigned for a moment before Jessie turned to Nate, thoughtful expression on her muzzle. "She has been well behaved since we got back," she whispered to Nate.

Nate nodded, whispering back, "It would give her something to do before school starts up again, I suppose. And it would make mom's life easier."

"But only if they agree."

"Absolutely."

Ellen sat there while her parents whispered to each other, pleading expression on her face. She turned to Nick and Marie in the meantime. "It's your mom and dad's decision." Nick responded. Marie nodded in agreement.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Hopps house, a similar conversation was occurring involving Jackie.

"Can Ellen come and stay with us, like her Uncle Nick?"

Stu and Bonnie looked at each other. Stu was about to speak when his phone started going off. Pulling it out, he saw that it was Nick calling. "Hey, Nick."

" _Hey, Stu. This may seem a little odd, but I have a little one here who'd like to come out with me to Bunnyburrow."_

Stu started laughing, which confused Bonnie, Jackie, and Nick. Composing himself, he replied, "Sorry about that Nick, I just had a little one here asking the same question."

It was Nick's turn to laugh now. _"Impeccible timing, I presume."_

"As long as it's okay with Jessie and Nate, we'd be happy to have her. We might ask her to do a little light stuff like Jackie's doing though."

" _That's fine, I think they're telling her about that."_

"Alrighty then. Same time?"

" _Absolutely. We look forward to seeing you guys."_

"Likewise, we'll see you when you get in."


End file.
